Nate Carroll is a 46 year old father of 3, who set the world record for most pushups in 365 days (certification pending). The final total was 1,506,911. This challenge was in support of the Tunnel to Tower foundation and to provide his children an up close experience of what goals that seem impossible look when they are broken down into manageable portions that are integrated into daily routines.

In addition to the record for most pushups in 365 days, in the past 15 months, he completed a 50 mile foot march around my house,  completed 3000 push ups during a marathon,  and completed 5000 push ups during a 31 mile trail race.

He has worked as a social worker in a prison for 21 years, was in the Marine Reserve, 2x Ironman finisher and he is a survivor of domestic violence. Despite his endurance achievements, his career and being a Marine, he knows first hand, if he doesn't address his vulnerabilities, he is the weakest person in the room. 

My Guest - Nathaniel Carroll

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

This week (September 13 - 17, 2021) is Direct Service/Support Professionals (DSP) appreciation week! Here at Mindful Inspiration Champion, we wanted to celebrate and say thank you with our friends at DSP Connections, Inc. in Salem, Oregon.

Nationwide there are more than 4.5 million individuals who do the work of a DSP. Locally here in Oregon those individuals serve nearly 29,000 Oregonians with I/DD. In the past 18 months DSPs specifically have been put thru unprecedented difficulties (pandemic, fires, ice, drought, staffing shortages, personal challenges, and heartbreaking losses). Thru all of this DSPs have powered thru and provided unwavering care to individuals who need it most. These relationships are like no other!

Direct Service/Support Professionals mission is a challenging one. It’s also rewarding, inspiring, and often life-changing for the caring professionals who make a difference in the lives of the children, adolescents, and adults they serve.

When you dedicate yourself to helping others, you’ll be surprised at what you can learn about yourself in the process. The goal of a DSP is to support their clients and their families with quality, reliable, direct support professionals to meet their daily needs. DSPs are dedicated people who are passionate about shaping futures and making a positive impact on the lives of the individuals they serve.

We celebrate you DSPs near and far! We take our hats off to you DSPs who do a job that is sometimes a thankless job, but a rewarding one! A personal thank you from Mindful Inspiration Champion and DSP Connections, Inc will be shared via this live interview.

My Guests - Tina Hart & Adam Cardoza - DSP Connections, Inc.

DSP Connections, Inc.

Website: https://dspconnections.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSPConnectionsInc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_HNQiFZ0yhOobueFxLwjA/featured

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dspconnctionsinc/?hl=en

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

Since 2003, we’ve set up and organized Child’s Play, a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 185 hospitals worldwide. Over the years, you as a community have answered the call and come together to raise millions of dollars.

Travis Eriksen, is the Executive Director of Child's Play. He joined the CP team in 2016, right at Child's Play shifted its focus from just providing games and technology to hospitals into an organization that helps teach hospital staff how to use games as an intentional part of therapy.

My Guest - Travis Eriksen - Executive Director - Child's Play Charity

Child's Play Charity

Website: https://childsplaycharity.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChildsPlayCharity/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChildsPlayCharity

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childsplaycharity/

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

This is a special episode for MIC. Our daughter (Aria) has personally benefited from this adaptive/enabling device/toy company, the growth we have seen Aria gain with having devices from this company has been amazing. Please join me as Seth Kanor joins us to discuss/share about Enabling Devices.

At the age of 13, Seth Kanor was working a few hours a week on the machines that lined his father's basement. At first, he helped to make medical devices for cancer research, but one afternoon he was given a new task.

His father, Steven Kanor, had gone that week to consult with United Cerebral Palsy on Long Island and had come back to the basement shop with an idea. He was going to make toys for kids with special needs. Throughout high school, Seth watched as his father worked to bring joy, independence and possibility into the lives of children who so needed his inventiveness, compassion and deep commitment.

Later, Toys For Special Children blossomed into Enabling Devices: a company devoted to enriching the lives of all people with special needs. Seth worked for many years in many different jobs before returning to the company his father founded over forty years ago; and he is extremely grateful to be a part of a group of people who are devoted to serving the community to which his his father was so dedicated.

My Guest - Seth Kanor - Enabling Devices

Enabling Devices

Website: https://enablingdevices.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enablingdevices1/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/enablingdevices

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

Author - Helen Damon Hesketh, is a devoted wife of 67+years, mother of eight children, and at last count, grandmother of 35 and great grandmother of 37. Born during the depression days impacted her life by being in the population group of “have-nots” that lead her to be a graduate of “The School of Hard Knocks”. Having only a High School education she continued her education by attending many self-improvement seminars and reading books to improve her self-esteem.

She also found acceptance in numerous volunteer activities over the years. To change the world has been her focus and mission in life. Early leadership positions were Rainbow Girls followed by Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Home and School Association, and served as president of several groups. After the last child started school she went back to work, first as a church secretary and later as an executive secretary.

In spite of all these experiences and accomplishments and surviving Breast Cancer, she struggled with being “Born Unwanted” throughout her life. This book tells how she has dealt with it in the hopes that the reader will find ways to discover concerns that interfere with being the person that God created you to be.

My Guest - Author - Helen Damon Hesketh

Helen Damon Hesketh

Book - Born Unwanted - https://www.amazon.com/Born-Unwanted-Emotional-Surviving-Roller-coaster-ebook/dp/B084DNRT7C

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

As a teenager and Seattle native, Billy Price suffered a spinal cord injury and became paralyzed from the chest down, losing the ability to move his fingers. Daily tasks became difficult, but using his creative mind and unyielding spirit, he never gave up.

He continued on, facing life's challenges with tenacity and determination. Born out of a need, BILLY Footwear was founded on the principle of inclusion and perseverance. Along with co-founder Darin Donaldson, Billy strives to add value to the lives of others and make a measurable difference in the world, one foot at a time.

My Guest - Billy Price - Co-Founder of Billy Footwear

Billy Footwear

Website: https://billyfootwear.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billyfootwear/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billyfootwear/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTuvl_577jr2WCTMXjGPV-w

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillyFootwear

Billy's Open Book Live Stream: https://billyfootwear.com/pages/open-book

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

Our dream is that we no longer have to use the words, “inclusive” or “accessible” when building something as vital as a playground.

– Olenka Villarreal, Founder, Magical Bridge Foundation

A town square for the 21st century

THE NATION’S MOST INNOVATIVE AND INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND

Universally Designed* to be a socially inclusive playground for everyone, Magical Bridge finally includes the 1-in-4 of us living with physical and cognitive disabilities, autism, visual and hearing impairments, the medically fragile, and our aging population. The first of its kind, Magical Bridge clearly illustrates how today’s typical park designs overlook so many.

Our story starts with a mom, two daughters and a playground need.

It was only after the birth of her second daughter that Olenka discovered how isolating a playground could be.

A place which brought joy and community connections with her older daughter had become a dreaded outing when she realized there were no parks designed for families like her own. A family, who had two children with very different needs.

Determined to create the kind of outdoor space that both her disabled and non-disabled daughters (and all their friends!) would love, she mobilized a team of volunteers to fulfill a dream to create such a place. While she found many playgrounds designed for the disabled population, none brought visitors of every age and ability group together in the welcoming way she envisioned.

For seven years, Olenka and her team continued to dream, research and raise funds necessary to create a new kind of playground in Palo Alto, California, called Magical Bridge.

The playground opened to great enthusiasm, and today, Kindness Ambassadors roam the park and welcome over 25,000 visitors monthly who come to experience a sense of belonging and fun.

With longtime friend and public relations executive Jill Asher, Olenka created Magical Bridge Foundation as a non-profit organization in 2016. Since then, the success of the playground has inspired an awareness that today's parks leave far too many behind, including our aging population and those living with visible and invisible disabilities.

Jill Asher, is part of the founding team of Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto and co-founder of Magical Bridge Foundation. A seasoned public relations and marketing executive, Jill left a successful high tech career to run the Magical Bridge Foundation and lead administration, community engagement, development, public relations and marketing. Jill actively engages with communities to promote inclusive play and kindness through a full spectrum of communications and fundraising programs. She is instrumental in promoting the values and principles of Magical Bridge to the media and the global community. She holds degrees in Economics and English from Rutgers University.

Olenka Villarreal, Founder of Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto, Magical Bridge Foundation and former Silicon Valley leader. In 2008, Olenka brought together an effective team of experts, city officials and volunteers to design and develop the groundbreaking Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto, CA. Once open to the public in 2015, she emerged as a respected thought-leader and advocate for playgrounds which reflect the play needs of everyone in a community. As co-inventor and patent-holder of several playground components, she frequently guest teaches at Stanford University and is thrilled about how the foundation's work is extending and inspiring a much-needed and truly magical play movement to include every“body” in a community. Olenka holds a B.A. in Economics and Public Policy from Pomona College and M.B.A. in Marketing from Golden Gate University.

My Guests - Olenka Villarreal and Jill Asher

Magical Bridge Foundation

Website: https://magicalbridge.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MagicalBridge/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicalbridge/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzK8vwvZnx7rwqwzgCPWm2g

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

Jason and Alison Hicks, are the proud parents of three amazing girls including Chelsea Hicks, whom the foundation was named after. Walking the journey of childhood cancer with Chelsea from 3 to 5 years old, they saw firsthand what isolation and cancer treatments can do to children’s spirit and happiness.

Through their tireless efforts and collaboration, the Hicks' has empowered children to explore their silly side and fight their disease head on through the magic and transformative power of dress-up. Chelsea’s Closet programming brings costumes, accessories and craft projects to pediatric patients at Doernbecher and Randall Children’s Hospitals every month.  To date, Chelsea’s Closet has given out more than 13,500 costumes to these amazing, brave and courageous children. 

My Guests - Jason and Alison Hicks

Chelsea Hicks Foundation/Closet

Website: https://www.chelseahicksfoundation.org/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-r7aYKweGHcQmIsSBDgOxg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelseasclosetpdx/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseasclosetpdx

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

Mandilee Demke is a mom of 2 boys with special needs that include CP, Epilepsy, CVI, and global delays. She also owns a tee shirt company and makes home decor items for people. She helps her husband run his security company as well.

She was born outside of Austin Texas, lived in Utah from 5th grade and into college, she met her husband in St George Utah, they moved to Detroit and had their oldest son there, then they moved to Las Vegas for a bit than to Lubbock Texas and than to California where they spent a few years and had their youngest and than they came out to Houston and have been there for a little over 5 years.

They have a Great Dane names Thor who loves his kids. She is the oldest of her four siblings.

Mandielee has lived a life that has challenge her and her husband, but she continues to push every day and she has quite the unique story to tell about “Living Life After Loss”.

Her message to others is “it’s ok to not be ok, this phrase has been important to me because I’ve not always been open about the struggles and pains that come with life but when I had the boys, I opened up and became more open about all the things. I really opened up after losing a family member and I wanted to let people know it’s ok to not be ok, you can have your days and just don’t let them control your life”.

My Guest - Mandielee and Matthew Demke

Mandielee Demke

Website: https://demkeboys.com/

Chalk Couture: https://www.chalkcouture.com/mandielee

Tee Shirt Society: https://teeshirtsociety.cratejoy.com/

Gabbie + Co. : https://gabbieco.com/

Great Dane Protection: http://greatdaneprotection.com/

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4

Helen Hesketh, is an amazing woman who labels herself as “Professional Volunteer” but she is really an outstanding leader in the many activities she has been involved in over her entire life. Helen has earned this title because throughout the years since her early childhood, volunteering has been a large part of her life.

She was born during the depression and was told she was unwanted child which affected her entire life as she strived to feel wanted in whatever she did.

At age 85 she stated writing her life story and so many memories surfaced that the story ended up being a self-help book which is now in print on Amazon.

Helen married at 21 and became a Military wife for the next two years at Ft. Belvoir, VA. They started a family and by the time she was only 32 the family consisted of five girls and three boys. The family now includes 35 grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren. (Aria is #29).

My Guest - Helen Hesketh

Helen's Book - https://www.amazon.com/Born-Unwanted-Emotional-Surviving-Roller-coaster/dp/B084DHD1YN/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=born+unwanted&qid=1627917742&sr=8-1

Mindful Inspiration Champion

Website: https://www.themindfulchampion.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themindfulchampion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulchampion/

Aria’s Army

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariasarmy

GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/5e2f5fb4